Buzzwords are funny things, especially when it comes to restaurants. Some places comically tout “authenticity,” others present an expensive mishmash of ingredients as “fusion“, while still others bandy about words like “original,” “modern” or “seasonal”. “Tapas” has come to mean miniscule portions paired with overpriced drinks, regardless of whether the food bears any resemblance to something one might find in Spain.

How did that happen? I stay away from places that associate themselves with buzzwords, as I’m convinced they mean I’ll be paying a premium for the privilege of taking part in somebody’s concept. I have nothing against concept dining, I‘m simply not interested in paying extra for it. My favorite places are more pedestrian: hole-in-the-wall joints where I can get a great meal without an obligatory side of pretense. I go out to eat, not to affirm my social status.

This kind of thinking brings me back to places like Pho Grand (277c Grand Street, between Eldridge and Forsyth) again and again.

This Saturday visit the Museum of Chinese in America and try your hand at puzzle solving! MOCA is offering family puzzle-solving workshops on the last Saturday of each month from March to August 2011. Kids 4 and older work with their parents to solve the puzzles, hear stories related to the puzzles, and experiment with puzzle-inspired art.

In the former home of the legendary Garden Cafeteria, this old-school Cantonese restaurant does a reasonably decent job with dim sum, barbecued meats and seafood dishes. The price is right. Downside: they don’t deliver.

There’s no English sign and you can’t expect a warm welcome, but these hand pulled noodle soups and (very thin-skinned) dumplings are some of the best in the neighborhood. A bag of 50 frozen dumplings will set you back 8 bucks.

Japanese home cooking in a tiny spot on Suffolk Street. The menu includes tofu-based dishes and miso soup, but this is not strictly a vegetarian restaurant. There’s a casserole dish, for example, made with beef and potatoes.

A takeout counter next to the Manhattan Bridge specializing in super-fresh hand-pulled noodles and spicy lamb dishes. The Flushing import features dishes from the Shaanxi province in Central China, such as spicy lamb noodles with cumin and the savory cumin lamb burger (Anthony Bordain’s favorite).

At this spartan, subterranean spot, handmade wheat noodles are served with a choice of 20 or so toppings (chopped pork bones, duck, ox tail, etc). For English only speakers, ordering here is a bit of a challenge. Some think the fish ball soup is unrivaled.